Sports

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team’s Class LL state tournament first round game, originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, has been postponed because of an anticipated winter storm. Newtown will host Conard at 5 pm on Wednesday, March 4. The Nighthawks are the No. 14 seed and Conard is the No. 19 team in the bracket. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults.

There wasn’t much, if any, question as to which team was the best in all of the state. But Newtown High School’s wrestling team put to rest any doubts there may have been by earning the State Open championship, at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, on February 28.

Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team dropped a 55-45 decision to host Joel Barlow of Redding in the South-West Conference Tournament quarterfinals on February 27. The third-seeded Falcons broke open a four-point lead midway through the fourth quarter to advance to the semifinals.

Sixth-seeded Newtown got 11 points each from Will Dalton and Jacob Burden, nine points from Charlie Huegi, seven from Jeremy Doski, four from Harry Depuy, and three from Tom Cotton.

The postseason is wrapping up for one sport and getting going for another as wrestling and basketball playoffs continue this weekend.

Newtown High School’s wrestling team, coming off South-West Conference and Class LL state championships, is going for a State Open crown. The event is slated to start at 4:30 pm on Friday, February 27, and conclude with the finals, beginning at 5:30 pm, on Saturday, February 28. All competition unfolds on the mats at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on 480 Sherman Parkway in New Haven.

Newtown High School’s boys’ swimming and diving team defeated Joel Barlow of Redding 95-70 on Senior Night, February 18. The team is now gearing up — really tapering and shaving — for the start of the postseason.

The South-West Conference championships are scheduled to take place after a bit of a layoff, with the diving competition March 4 at New Fairfield High, and the swimming events two days later at Masuk High in Monroe; both portions of the championship will begin at 6 pm.

Come-from-behind efforts have become commonplace for Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team, but the Nighthawks outdid themselves in a pair of thrilling South-West Conference tournament games this week. Unfortunately for the Hawks, ultimately they were outdone by the opposition.

Two years, two state titles … and a pair of championships in as many weeks for Newtown High School’s wrestling team. The Nighthawks successfully defended their state championship, seven days after claiming a conference crown, easily outscoring runner-up Danbury in the February 20-21 Class LL state meet at Trumbull High School.

The Nighthawks racked up 282.5 points, and Danbury compiled 231. Simsbury and Xavier of Middletown tied for third with 189, and next was Trumbull, which scored 183.

Held to just nine first-half points, Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team used tenacious defense to generate explosive offense in the third quarter – riding a 21-2 run to a 48-37 win over visiting Immaculate of Danbury in the South-West Conference tournament quarterfinals on February 21.

The defending Class LL state champion Newtown High School wrestling team has put itself into good position to repeat with 11 of 14 grapplers getting all the way to the semifinal round at Trumbull High School on Saturday, February 21.

The Nighthawks had 13 grapplers advance to the quarterfinals which took place Saturday morning. Newtown, coming off its South-West Conference title, is trying to defeat Xavier of Middletown and Danbury, among other tough Class LL schools. The championship rounds are expected to begin at about 2:30 pm, shortly after the completion of the semifinals.